Sindorel Felclar II
“No, Zoha. I am not Sindorel. He is me, but I am not him." - Pneuma to Zoha Vel'priit Description ---- Observations of Sindorel Felclar at court display an impeccably dressed, ageless man of an uncanny disposition. He could be in his twenties or thirties, and not a line mars his smooth and angular countenance. Fashioned always in a rakish pomp, completed by flaring spills of lace at his shirt-cuffs and silken cloaks trimmed in gold thrown over his shoulders, seem to be his common fashion. The Lord is known for wearing dark hues of gray, violet, black, and scarlet that so deepen the midnight black of his thick hair, which is often parted to the left and concealing one eye in shadow. The aristocrat stands slender and tall, cresting six feet and certainly lacking in girth. His smiles are charming and knowing, mirroring the flickering glint in his sharp jade eyes. When those eyes fall upon the nobles at court, they often describe Sindorel's gaze as penetrating, flaying, and damning. For all his intimidating stature and sometimes obnoxious flair for the dramatic, few who know the name 'Felclar' can deny the efficacious terror Sindorel brings to Stormwind (and indeed, the realms beyond). For all of that, however, the Lord of House Felclar does have a reputation for unusual bouts of generosity. Based on the grandiose amounts of gold spent towards public funding, orphanages, and security efforts across the Kingdom of Stormwind, it's not difficult to assume that this ambiguity does ''care concerning the welfare of the State. Though it is no secret that Sindorel, and indeed House Felclar in its totality, rarely offers kindness freely. Because of this, many members on the House of Nobles begin to wonder what angle the notoriously scheming Sindorel will ask in return. Recent Events ---- Sindorel, along with Thice, Aniel Veer, Benathi Aramil, Nakamaru the Maelstrom, and Osias Valenheart, pooled their resources together with the intent to create a system that paid homage to no monarch nor faction. As a response to the near-disaster at the Siege of Silverpoint, stronghold of the Perennial Armament, Sindorel helped gather support for a conglomerate that would be bound by a mutual defense pact and the beginnings of something resembling democracy. However, Sindorel refused to lead this entity himself, and instead pointed to an unlikely source: a daughter he had ostensibly kept secret, Graciia Elnor. Charismatic and powerful and wise, for these traits Sindorel argued that Graciia would be a better leader --and, indeed, a better person-- than he was. Sindorel played a part in convincing Dilan Ravenshield and Varisana Ravenshield into joining the defense pact as well, as they had suspicions regarding Graciia's experience and character. This conglomerate named itself the Dynasty, hearkening back to the Dynasty of Sunbreeze and Loreleaf, though Graciia's pronouncement of, "I will be no queen," laid to rest any suspicions regarding the Dynasty being a new monarchy. Sindorel served as his daughter's adviser, and for a time joined Zaria Blackmoore's Citrine Eagle per Graciia's request to curry favor among possible allies. However, when Graciia disappeared early on in the Dynasty's war against the Dark March and the Shadowmaster Longshadow, Sindorel left Zaria's side and returned to the Dynasty to act in Graciia's stead. Though met with much protest, Sindorel's draconian, scorched-earth war tactics sent the Dark March fleeing and he won several decisive victories that placed the Dynasty in a position of power against their enemies. However, leadership seemed to change Sindorel, as he began to display signs of severe depression and withdrew from what few friends he had. It was in this depression that Sindorel drew upon the power of Fatebreaker, a sword he'd created with the Master of Death, Tenebrax, and set out to destroy the Masters: beings who had taken for themselves wellsprings of magic called the Mantles of Creation. With Fatebreaker in hand Sindorel proclaimed he'd accepted his fate and smote down the Master of Life and the Master of Light. When the Dynasty relocated their forces to the Felclar fortress Bastion following a series of devastating defeats, Sindorel --in a sort of daze-- called upon an ancient ritual and spoke the forgotten words of his house: "I will remember those forgotten. I will never forget." An incredible surge of power exploded away from Sindorel, and in the aftermath of a pitched battle, the Dynasty found his body comatose and soulless. Graciia, distraught, proclaimed Sindorel deceased, with suicide being the cause of death. History Early Life Born to a family shrouded in mystery, cruel business tactics, and an alarming propensity for magic (as far as humans went), Sindorel was groomed from infancy to be a Lord of great cunning. Sired by Doriel Felclar III and his wife, Melynda Felclar (formerly Melynda Falcresten, forced into marriage with House Felclar for political reasons), both of whom were mages of great repute, it was no surprise when at an early age Sindorel began displaying magical aptitude. The Felclar family was notorious for having unusually gifted magics in their blood -- and Sindorel was no exception. The rumors at court that they had drops of Quel'dorei blood cannot be proven, and the Felclars themselves never offer enlightenment on the subject. For this reason, they often trained their own cadre of elite sorcerer-warriors --the Spellbinders-- using unorthodox methods of magic. Unlike most budding magi of the time, Sindorel was not sent to Dalaran and the Kirin Tor to study the secrets of the Arcane, but was instead taken on by a newly elected Spellbinder, Porm'tal Ruvuizin. Sindorel and Porm'tal would grow to form a close bond (with Porm'tal later becoming the High Wizard of House Felclar), and the young Felclar stunned his mentor and parents alike at how swiftly he learned the arts Arcane. Briefly, Doriel Felclar believed that sending his son as a ward to other Houses would curry good relations with the other branches of nobility. Sindorel, reluctantly torn from his books and his studies (though many of these he brought with him), was sent to Lord Jason of House Braven. Here, the bedrock of a deep-seated animosity between Felclar and Bracken began, as the Lord Jason's eldest son Merrick deemed the willowy, bookish Sindorel worth antagonizing. With the other wards and Merrick's brothers surrounding him, Sindorel could do little but cower as they taunted, threw jeers, and ultimately abused him. Sindorel's only solace was in the locked quarters of his room at House Braven, where he would light magical flames and dream dreams of setting Merrick and all the rest on fire. (Dreams that would, decades later, come to fruition). Sindorel returned, at the age of fourteen, to his family at the Phoenix Spire, an immense tower of soaring heights and palatial stature situated on the largest of nineteen islands called the Manse de Felclar. Located some dozen miles off the coast of the Black Morass, in the Forbidding Sea, the Manse was protected by magic and location. Great reefs and rocks protected the lagoons and vistas of the Manse from naval assault (which had proven a great boon during the First War, of which the House survived mostly intact save for casualties on the mainland). The welcome he received was not warm, as internal strife had rocked the House while he had been gone. Sindorel's uncle, Tyartol Felclar IV, had grown bolder in his demands for more power with Sindorel being sent away. This stemmed from a conflict of inheritance between Doriel's sole heir, Sindorel, and Tyartol's two sons (Tyartol and Doriel were twins, with Doriel being the elder by minutes). Doriel, Tyartol argued, could not prove that he was indeed the oldest. Complicating these political conflicts was a dark secret that had laid dormant inside of Sindorel since birth. There is some speculation as to how much Doriel knew of his son's plight, and what steps he might have taken to avoid the conflicts to sprout because of it, but what's clear is that Doriel and Melynda became aware before Sindorel did of a sinister spirit sleeping inside of him. The desiccated spirit of an Eredar, Magderith, had latched onto the infant Sindorel at his birth from beyond Azeroth. How this came to be was never discovered, though Sindorel himself postulates that the Phoenix Spire's unusual planar magics could have weakened the folds between planes enough for Magderith to penetrate Azeroth, if only in spirit, and assault an unknown baby's mind. Thinking to spare their son from becoming a vessel of a demon, Doriel called Sindorel to his study with the intention of giving him a soft, clean death. The demon within, however, was not so ready to surrender his charge. Whispering the words to a secret, dark spell to the young Sindorel, Magderith shielded his vessel with a barrier of necrotic power. Stunned, Doriel was unprepared for the sorcery that his son unleashed. Sindorel cannot remember exactly what the spell he used accomplished, but he recalled that his father's corpse had lost all moisture, and he was little more than a sack of bones against the carpeted floor. Not a drop of blood had been spilled. Though Sindorel did grieve, he had become pragmatic and calloused after years of abuse from the Bravens, and had developed an animosity for his father for sending him there in the first place. Deeming the murder as an act of self-defense, Sindorel appealed to his mother Melynda for aid, as he knew his uncle Tyartol would soon take advantage of Doriel's death and institute himself as the new Lord Felclar. Sindorel was found wanting for aid, however, as Melynda was found days later with her wrists slit, dried tears on her dress beside the bloodstains. Recorded history (and indeed, Sindorel himself will not go into detail of the account) does not relate ''what ''happened during the bloody insurrection within House Felclar. Tyartol and his sons were not so skilled at magic as Doriel and his son, which most nobles at court attribute to Sindorel's surprising triumph over his uncle and cousins. But the details are likely much darker, for the blood spilled in the halls of the Phoenix Spire haunted the soldiers and servants for years to come. In the aftermath of so much death, Sindorel, at the age fourteen, became the newly declared Lord Felclar, Lord Magister of the Phoenix Spire. Behind his back and behind closed doors, the House of Nobles and other minor nobility had taken to calling him the "Last Felclar," for in the coup started by Tyartol ''every ''Felclar had died save for Sindorel himself. This raised (and still raises) many questions regarding how much of the bloodshed was in self defense, for the deaths of his relatives all but secured Sindorel's position as Lord. For this reason, when Sindorel first entered the halls of the House of Nobles, he was met only with solemn silence -- and fear for what the Last Felclar would bring. Dalaran and the Kirin Tor ---- Determined to be away from the darkness of his childhood, plagued by the death that hung fresh in the air of the Phoenix Spire, Sindorel appealed to the wizards of Dalaran for enrollment. Though older than most of the youth that entered the academies of the magocracy, his training with the Spellbinders of House Felclar placed him leagues ahead of even most apprentices in Dalaran. Despite likely being off-put by the bloody history of his House and person, Dalaran accepted Sindorel as a student in their ranks. In his absence Sindorel instated the young, strapping Lord Angeil Safornen of House Safornen and the Lady Danica Le'banc as his regents of the House. The two had proven their loyalty to Sindorel during the coup, and each knew the dangers of earning young Sindorel's ire... they had witnessed it first-hand. As expected Sindorel advanced beyond his peers (and even those far older than him) in study and skill, and not in magical acuity alone. By the age of fifteen Sindorel had penned various treatises, especially on a subject that fascinated him early on in his time at Dalaran -- planar theory. He believed that the secrets of the world could be found by archaelogists and the dwarves, but it was Sindorel's desire to explore the secrets of the ''cosmos. ''Many archmagi and graduated scholars commented on the young Felclar's zeal and passion for realms beyond Azeroth (most considered this to be little more than a distraction for the trauma he had experienced), and were astonished by the understanding of advanced, esoteric lore he displayed in his writings. Outpacing those his age, Sindorel would very swiftly rise through the ranks and graduate from the rank of novice. The High Elf Kel'tor Sorrowstar took Sindorel on as his apprentice, in part due to his friendship to Doriel Felclar, but the archmage's goal was to glean the truth of what transpired in the Phoenix Spire from the Last Felclar. Not one to be fooled, Sindorel caught on to the High Elf's probing early on in his apprenticeship and rebuffed the archmage for his prying. Taken aback, but also ashamed, Kel'tor would from then on focus only on training Sindorel to become a full-fledged graduate of Dalaran. It did not take long for Sindorel to prove to Kel'tor that he had mastered all he needed to be considered a mage of Dalaran. He was raised into the vaunted ranks of the Kirin Tor at the age of seventeen, a shining example of academia and intellect -- and, for many of the archmagi, a threat. For in his years as a mere student Sindorel wrote enough trivia on planar travel and the school of Conjuration to outweigh many of those that considered themselves experts in the field. From then on the young Felclar would be watched very closely. Rise to Power Sindorel did not return to his seat at the Phoenix Spire upon graduating -- the libraries of Dalaran contained more magical esoterica and planar phenomena than the vaults at the Manse did, and he meant to explore all he could, for as long as he could. Once graduated from the apprentices Sindorel spent months cooped up in the Violet Citadel before departing without warning, and abruptly at that. It was for this reason that he narrowly avoided the Scourge of Lordaeron and the subsequent annihilation of Dalaran -- upon being questioned later, Sindorel explained that he had a "dark dream of blood flowing through the streets, and a violet eye weeping bodies, green fire reflected in its pupil." This would be the first sign of Sindorel's most ambiguous (and some might argue powerful) magics -- Oneiromancy, the power of foresight through dreams. Bewildered at the destruction of the city that had been his home for three years, Sindorel briefly returned to the Manse, if for no other reason than to confirm that he had survived Dalaran's dissolution to Lord Angeil and Lady Danica. Once certain that he secured House Felclar from would-be vultures, Sindorel resumed his obsessive studies of worlds beyond Azeroth -- and indeed, the Elemental Planes and other places that were beyond mundane sight. Unbeknownst to Sindorel, this excessive research on the planes was, at least in part, guided by Magderith, who still resided deep within the young mage's soul. It was no coincidence that Sindorel's primary focus during his time with the Kirin Tor was on the magic of Conjuration -- seeds of interest were planted, so surreptitious as to seem natural, by the Eredar that chose the Last Felclar as his vessel. In later years Sindorel would come to wonder how much of his discoveries were due to personal brilliance, and how much were in fact the secret whispers of Magderith within. Years into his studies, at the age of twenty-three (six years after graduating from Dalaran), Sindorel caught rumors of an ancient artifact buried somewhere in the snows of Alterac. Forming an expedition of Spellbinders and the Phoenix Guard (an elite force of House Felclar's militant branch), Sindorel struck out for the dilapidated mountain kingdom in search of the object, which he knew only as the 'Elder Orb.' He'd found it in the deeper recesses of House Felclar's histories, which claimed that the first Doriel Felclar had bound a being of impossible power to serve House Felclar using an artifact known as the Elder Orb. Though Sindorel could not confirm that these histories were true, he did have an inkling that the Elder Orb (whatever it was) existed. Traveling through the Ogre haunted snows, Sindorel and his expedition of some twenty men and women made their way through the mountain range until they happened upon the barest edges of the broken kingdom. It was there that Sindorel found a cave that would change his life --for better or for worse-- until recent times. No one knows precisely what happened when the Last Felclar entered the cave where he found the Elder Orb, but when he returned to the Phoenix Spire, he returned alone. This would mark the beginning of Sindorel's rapid rise to magical power, reaching an apex that shattered all conceptions regarding his personal prowess -- and indeed it would begin to sow the first seeds of fear that marked House Felclar's blood-spattered involvement with the world. All the while, the Eredar Magderith waited in quiescent patience for the Lord Felclar to grow in magical strength, knowing full well that when he came into the world it would be in a strong body blessed by great magic. Gifted by so much magic as he was, Sindorel grew to be dissatisfied with what he called 'mundane sorcery' (the magics of the Kirin Tor, the magics of other academies). In his mind, these groups were too peevish and fearful to explore true power, too concerned with useless ethical codes to placate the ignorant masses. Sindorel was a firm believer that those with power should exercise it, most especially those who had the potential for magic. Young, brilliant, and yet known for fiery bouts of passion, Sindorel launched many business schemes from his seat at the Phoenix Spire. One by one merchant guilds and mercantile companies found themselves being bought out by the seemingly limitless gold of House Felclar; lesser Houses that protested, share-holders who had much at stake if these companies were to fail, were mysteriously silenced, or crippled as infidelities were exposed to the public eye. No one was able to point the finger Sindorel's way -- how could the aloof Last Felclar be responsible, they said, if he was never actually present in Stormwind City? But the greater Houses knew the games he was playing... though they could not explain how Sindorel was so cognizant of their secrets, of their alliances and schemes. The secret lay in the Elder Orb he had taken from Alterac years earlier. By calling on its eerie powers he could send his sight out -- not only physically, though that surely was one such ability of the Orb, but on a more transcending level. He could gaze into the future and the past, look into conversations whispered weeks ago, or perhaps years. In this instance Sindorel would turn his gaze into the past, which was far more reliable and served as the source for his seeming omniscience. With the Elder Orb he crippled Houses and throttled schemes before they could come to fruition. But of course, such power always comes at a price. Binding of the Eight Through all his games, however, Sindorel was not satisfied. He yearned to unlock the deeper secrets of magic -- he had a burning desire to test the limits of his own potential. He was twenty-eight-years-old when he disappeared from the Phoenix Spire once more, leaving Lord Angeil and Lady Danica as his respective regents. In his absence the lords and ladies of his rivaling Houses could breath again. Sindorel traveled, alone, to the haunted reaches of old Lordaeron. He saw for himself the shattered, blighted lands wrought by the Scourge. Though disgusted by the wholesale slaughter and the desecration of an entire kingdom, on a deeper level he had to admire the sheer genius of the Necromancy used. This inspired him to look more into the darker magics involving Life and Death, and manipulating the balance in between. Raiding what ruins of the Scourge bases he could find, Sindorel gathered all he could on Necromancy and set to studying in the keep of Fenris Isle. Erecting wards to mask his presence, he sat in the ruined crypts of the fortress for weeks, the only light that conjured by his magic, poring over tome after tome. Somewhere in these secrets, Sindorel found (or perhaps created?) a spell ritual that would come to haunt him, quite literally, even to present times. Magic of the blackest sort, it could bind creatures with magical propensity to his eternal will -- intrigued by the idea of servitors of such strength to serve him, Sindorel began investigating how far he would allow himself to go. But the more spirits he bound to himself, the darker his psyche became, the more easily he found it to be murder another spellcaster and shackle their soul to his Will. The series of murders became an obsession --not for the pleasure of it, but for what such death brought him. Over the course of three years Sindorel would find eight creatures of varying races, all forever bound to serve the Lord of Felclar. Their names have been forgotten save for three -- Knok'tor, a Shaman of the Frostwolf Clan; Fara'nah Tel'Knozz, a High Elf maiden gifted with magical empathy, and the shade Nul'dros, who takes the shape of a mass of shadows and burning crimson eyes. For whatever reason, perhaps known only to him, Sindorel did not go past this gathering of servants, and thus the sobriquet "The Eight." Few have ever witnessed the Eight -- indeed, even those closest to Sindorel know not of their existence. It is, perhaps, his most closely guarded secret. Those that have, however, seem to place it far out of their thoughts; all they can recall is the deafening rattle of chains and broken weeping. Sindorel recently revealed to his closest associates in the Perennial Armament and House Ravenshield that this spell was in truth called ''The Nine. ''Developed for some two thousand six hundred years, going as far back as the first Doriel Felclar, House Felclar had been attempting to complete this complex ritual to no avail. Sindorel, however, found eight such creatures that could serve the necessary formula for completing ''The Nine, ''but never found the Ninth. It has since been explained that the ninth spirit to be sacrificed had to be the sorcerer invoking the spell, hence Sindorel's reluctance to ever complete ''The Nine. However, some few know that Sindorel's most recent death was his sacrifice, used to finish this dread ritual. What was done with all that power is unclear, but apparently Sindorel once again cheated death. The War in Northrend At the closing chapters of the defeat of Kil'jaeden and the War on Outland, Sindorel finally returned to claim his seat at the Phoenix Spire. It had been so long, many feared he was dead, though Lord Angeil and Lady Danica dared not usurp in the Lord's absence. They remembered well the fourteen-year-old boy who had so defeated his uncle and cousins, and found themselves left with imagination alone in regards to a much older Sindorel Felclar's wrath. Securely ensconced, Sindorel made plans to involve the House in the upcoming storm -- the reestablishment of Dalaran and its relocation to Northrend apparently prompted Sindorel to act, and swiftly. Strict regiments for the House's Spellbinders, the Phoenix Guard, and the House's Wing Guard were enacted. Corpulent funding from House Felclar were sent towards the crown, the bulk of which would be put towards research. His House preparing for the war, Sindorel traveled to Dalaran to remind the Kirin Tor he was, indeed, alive. No doubt many were dismayed, though if this offended the Lord's sensibilities, he did not show it. Indeed, accounts suggest that he savored the intrigue, seemed to delight in the audience he found in Dalaran. Though he disguised the dark magics he'd practiced well, there were those who suspected the strange glint in his jade eyes -- suspected, and feared. Most notable of Sindorel's return was the association he developed with the Archmage Velon Duskweaver, a reputed abjurer and an expert in combating Undead. Together, Felclar and Duskweaver would develop a thesis of magical artifacts that could harness sunlight and dampen the effects of Necromancy. Though only theory, the other archmagi of Dalaran were so impressed that they demanded Sindorel be made an archmage. He had mastered the two schools of magic as was required of one as it stood, they urged, and Velon Duskweaver himself declared that the bulk of the research was based on Sindorel's findings to begin with. With reluctance, and much grumblings among those echelons that suspected the Last Felclar of treachery, the title of Archmage was given to Sindorel. It is said that he pranced before them at the Violet Citadel, wearing an infuriating smirk that would come to mark his character forever, staring directly at those that had protested against his raising. Sindorel was among those that spear-headed the assault on Icecrown. His House's Spellbinders augmented the magical artillery that was the Kirin Tor, providing complex wards and spellfire to cauterize the Undead flesh from the world. He implemented a proto-type of the artifacts he and Velon Duskweaver had developed: towering obelisks of pure marble and quartz, inscribed with sigils that drank in pure sunlight, using heat and radiance to power its dweomer. Purportedly the obelisk's magic worked with such success that House Felclar's forward armies secured an important pass for the Argent Crusade. As the War in Northrend came to an end, Sindorel was awarded with accolades from Alliance High Command and the Kirin Tor alike, and so his influence grew. Deathwing's Cataclysm & Implosion Throughout Deathwing's Cataclsym, Sindorel Felclar took an active role in public affairs, sending funds to the rebuilding of those areas in Stormwind City that were damaged during the fallen Aspect's rampage.It was during this time that Sindorel revealed to a close circle of confidantes that he was afflicted with an eldritch disease he entitled 'Implosion;' based on the Lord's descriptions and those notes he left behind regarding the affliction, Implosion targeted a sorcerer's mana pool and slowly drained it away. To compensate for the sudden drop in his mana, Sindorel's body would begin feeding the disease with its own life force, which was slowly but surely wasting away at the High Sorcerer himself. Despite his attempts to find a cure, Sindorel was only able to forestall the inevitability of his own death by feeding the Implosion alternate mana sources until such a time where he could permanently rid himself of the malady. House Felclar and indeed Sindorel himself played only a minor role against the Twilight's Hammer and Deathwing's plot to unleash the Hour of Twilight. Some funds went towards specific militant groups to face down the threats that were breeding across the land, notably the 87th Alliance Vanguard commanded by Hadrian 'Arlen' Locke. This period marked a unique recalcitrance for Sindorel and House Felclar as he blatantly ignored requests --if not demands-- for aid from the other members of the House of Nobles. This increased the enmity held towards Sindorel manifold, though few were ever willing to make a move against Sindorel -- publicly or otherwise. Perhaps Sindorel's greatest contribution during this period was against a menace known only as 'the Incubus;' notwithstanding, the Lord was apparently instrumental in the obscure conflict that took place somewhere off the coast of the Eastern Kingdoms. Rumors persist about his involvement with the crisis, as well as elements of the Church and noble factions that recognized the threat for what it was. Coincidentally --and some would whisper otherwise-- many of those who fought alongside Sindorel disappeared from the public arena in the following months. Unveiling of the Mists In the years of peace between the Cataclysm and the revelation of a fourth continent beneath Azeroth's southern hemisphere, Sindorel and his House returned to their proclivities of business maneuvers and secret schemes. Though there is no proof (there rarely is), it is said that Sindorel became involved, in some shape or form, with the illicit underground markets of Stormwind City. Given the tensions between the Church and the mob guilds that were sprouting from the cobblestones of the city, the idea of House Felclar capitalizing on the chaotic tumult is not unthinkable, and there were some who heaped some of the blame onto Sindorel Felclar. Of course, such rumors never took complete root, and Sindorel himself seemed to dismiss the notion as he was one of those that brought the criminal organizations to heel. The truth is in fact a rather difficult tale of deceit and betrayal, as Sindorel made bargains on all sides, but in the end he betrayed his allies in the criminal organizations and sided with the Church and State. All of this culminated into the mists surrounding ancient Pandaria evaporating, heralding a new era, a new threat, and a new war. The Sha, the Horde, and Despair The shockwave that rippled across the Alliance with Theramore's destruction seemed to stir the Lord of House Felclar from years of sedentary inaction and schemes. For the first time in hundreds of years, the fabled Phoenix Guard of House Felclar and its Armada of advanced ships set sail for Pandaria -- apparently to act as a punitive fleet against the Horde that had so blatantly assaulted Alliance territory. However, Sindorel caught word from his eyes and ears in Pandaria of dark creatures spawning from the landscape where Alliance and Horde clashed -- the Sha. Deciding swiftly that he would not involve his people against such fell creatures, nor engage with the Horde (he concluded that, somehow, the conflict itself was harming the land) and moored his fleet off the coast of the Krasarang Wilds. It was revealed that Sindorel used the Alliance and Horde conflict as a smokescreen to mask his own activities in the area -- to keep a close eye on the 87th Alliance Vanguard, for one, and to find artifacts to add into House Felclar's already veritable collection. His fleet's presence dissuaded interruptions from any rivaling factions, and Sindorel was swift to loot the abandoned Mogu ruins, as well as scrolls left behind by the Pandaren scholars. It was in Krasarang, with his allies Rothlon Argonath and Ralvin Larkwood, that Sindorel first encountered the Sha for himself. Combining sorcery with steel, the trio managed to fight off waves of the monsters, but the sight of them unnerved Sindorel. He was said to retreat back to his Armada off the coast, which soon set sail for the north, to scour the Jade Forest as they had the Wilds. Landing a small expeditionary force in the Jade Forest, Sindorel and his companions set out to the Temple of the Jade Serpent. Through their travels the Lord came to understand the Pandaren's unique perspective on healing and the magical arts, and endeavored to find a cure for his Implosion. The Temple yielded no answers for the High Sorcerer, so he took his ground forces across the breadth of Pandaria in a desperate search for a cure. Along the way they clashed with remnant Horde factions skulking through the Forest and the Valley of Four Winds. As Sindorel grew closer and closer to the end of his life, he was overcome with a realization of doom. This spawned a horde of lesser Sha, springing up and feeding off of his Despair. House Felclar's position on the edge of the Valley was quite nearly overrun with the creatures and, after a full night of desperate conflict, they came out bloodied but alive. Realizing the damage his own tide of hopelessness had created, Sindorel abandoned Pandaria, convinced that if there was a cure, it was not worth the lives of his people. Banishing Magderith Sometime between the war of the Faceless and his failure to find a cure in Pandaria, Sindorel was made aware (or perhaps had always known) of the demon relying on him as a conduit. Surprising those who know him, instead of trying to capitalize on Magderith's presence for some personal gain, Sindorel seemed to enter a panic. He banished the demon, expunging Magderith from his mind, but with unforeseen consequences. Having taken what strength he needed from the Last Felclar, Magderith would soon plague the Eighty-Seventh Vanguard, most notably a young man in their ranks: Clorvay Fellor. The Faceless, the Solemn Champion As the war in Pandaria came to a close, Garrosh deposed and the heart of Y'shaarj depleted, Sindorel returned to private matters. All but accepting that the Implosion would claim his life, Sindorel decided upon recreating the image of House Felclar as a force of good, not aloof conceit and destruction. He rekindled his shaking connections with the 87th Alliance Vanguard and his old, estranged companion, Commander Locke. A new threat had culminated unchecked in the northlands of Arathi and Lordaeron, a cult that worshiped Void Gods who called themselves "The Faceless." Alongside these cultists was a prophecy given to Sindorel by Commander Locke detailing a 'Solemn Champion,' a hero that would create destruction but in it salvation. Sindorel made the connection between the two, learning that the Faceless and their Void God masters wished to twist the Solemn Champion's purpose and bring solely destruction. Calling once more on his House's powers, hiring a slew of mercenary companies, Sindorel marched his forces --some ten-thousand strong-- to the Arathi Highlands. There, coupled with the 87th Alliance Vanguard, the private forces of Clorvay Fellor and Shyre De'Rathe-Makarov, an immense clash took place that shattered the Highlands for miles around. Thousands of Felclar soldiers smashed against a wall of unbridled sorcery wielded by the Faceless. Worse yet, the Faceless revealed their puppet, the Lich Velon Duskweaver, whose army of undead harassed and all but swallowed the forward vanguard of the allied forces. The chaos of the battle was held mostly in check as the allied forces protected a ridgeline; there, the paladin Clorvay Fellor and priestess Shannaara Leaffen were calling on a prayer of Light to purge the Undead from the battlefield. Were it not for the sacrifice and intervention of the Highborne archmage, Izraena Sur'dumae, the ridge would have been destroyed by an elusive and mysterious entity that revealed himself during the battle -- Tenebrax, a dark sorcerer of immense power. He was forced back by Izraena's magical interception, but the cost was the Highborne's life. In a desperate gamble of magic and luck, Sindorel dueled one of the leaders of the Faceless and struck him down, suffering a mortal blow in the process. This gave Clorvay the window of opportunity he needed to destroy the majority of the Undead plaguing the field. He was subsequently tended to by Shannaara, who saved him from certain death. Reinforced by a skyship provided by Shyre Makarov's husband, the allied forces on the ground escaped total annihilation, and the surviving Faceless retreated through portals. The Lich Duskweaver was destroyed, but his phylactery was still at large. For the moment, the threat of the Faceless and their unseen patrons was over. A New Draenor Together with his allies, the Order of the Holy Sword and the Eighty-Seventh Vanguard, Sindorel struck out into New Draenor with all his military might. Engaging in minor skirmishes with the Iron Horde, Sindorel's true war lay in facing an eldritch being known today as The Master. ''Striking many dark bargains and shedding more blood than House Felclar had thus far shed, Sindorel played an integral role in defeating this Master, though the cost (both military and personal) weighed heavily on Sindorel's soul. Furthermore, Sindorel seemingly betrayed his allies among the Order and the Vanguard in order to deceive the dark god Tenebrax and his divine ally, the Dynast Queen, and his deception allowed for their defeat as well. There are few survivors left roaming the worlds after this dire conflict, and as such, details are muddled. Sindorel returned with his battered forces to Azeroth once the fighting was done, though not without cost. For, awaiting Sindorel back at the Phoenix Spire, was a being of dark power that had been kept slumbering beneath the waves. The Fall of House Felclar After years of keeping House Felclar sequestered save for engaging in the Wars in Northrend, Pandaria, and Draenor, Sindorel made himself publicly known at the onset of the Gavenstead-Alterac conflict. Months had passed since the Lord had frequented Stormwind City itself, and just as his political opponents begin to soften in their security on the House of Nobles he made his return. For reasons unknown and seemingly arbitrarily, Sindorel Felclar sealed an alliance with the Archduchy of Gavenstead, becoming an influential benefactor for the northerners. The Archduchy was quick to take advantage of House Felclar's bloated coffers to begin developing farms, and likewise Sindorel used his decades of political experience to fend off many would-be opponents of Gavenstead. Perhaps most notable was the secret compact he made between House Felclar and Zaria R. Blackmoore -- both Sindorel and Zaria worked in the shadows to establish some modicum of peace between Gavenstead and Alterac. Perhaps with some suspicion, Sindorel (and the troops he had stationed with him) survived the rapid dissolution of Gavenstead unscathed. He made no protest when various groups moved in to scour, conquer, and clean what lands were left behind by Gavenstead's fall. Sindorel later admitted that the only reason he sought peace between the northern powers was in an effort to gain military support for something brewing in his own lands. A powerful menace awakened by the Felclars of antiquity once again stirred, after being sealed away by that sorcerous family thousands of years ago. Though many details of the conflict remain muddled, it is common knowledge that bizarre creatures began spilling out of planar gates into the Swamp of Sorrows, slaughtering the Felclar populace that lived on the coastal regions there. From here, the tale is tragic and bloody, but no one knows for certain what transpired as the Manse de Felclar went up in flames. Some say Sindorel Felclar went mad and destroyed his own House, slaughtering his own people to keep whatever was sleeping in the bowels of his family's home away from the world. What ''is ''known is that Sindorel sent dozens of letters begging for aid, imploring assistance against a threat that he could not face alone. By and large, House Felclar went ignored, and the resulting cataclysm caused immense tidal waves and a poisonous saturation of mana off the coast of the Swamp of Sorrows. But not all ignored Sindorel's appeal for aid. Though she could not provide military support, Zaria Blackmoore (with the aid of the Felclar Armada) evacuated as many as three thousand civilians from the chaos that overtook House Felclar's lands. They have since integrated into Blackmoore's fold, putting their Lord --and all the blood that follows him-- behind. Recently, Sindorel confirmed to his allies and friends that he purposely detonated the Phoenix Spire in a bid to forever lock away the being beneath the ocean waves (according to Sindorel, it had been trying to use House Felclar's magic to open a gate). The chain reaction of all the sorcery inside his ancestral home sparked an implosion event, a temporary vortex not unlike the Maelstrom that subsided after several seconds. The result, however, vaporized the archipelago House Felclar had called home for some two-thousand-six-hundred-years, and destroyed their mainland holdings as well. The Raven and the Phoenix After the fall of his House, Sindorel became bereaved, and started displaying bouts of aggression and mania. He would spend hours wandering Stormwind's cemeteries, wondering why he could not find his father's grave, until he met a Varisana Le'noire. The sorceress took pity on the broken lord, and he wept for her, and sang her a song about how he'd dreamed the end of the world and died before he could tell anyone of it. They parted then, and perhaps Varisana thought it would be the last she'd see of the fallen Lord of Felclar. If so, she was wrong. In a flurry of silk and fanfare, Sindorel approached House Ravenshield and its allies, offering his sorcerous support as well as the remnant of his House's armies and navies. Disturbed by his sudden arrival, and wary of his spidery words, they rejected him. Nevertheless Sindorel meant to aid House Ravenshield and his "Dilan dearest," and thus began a dance of lies. Apparently treating his new "friends" as players in a grand game, Sindorel harassed House Ravenshield, but as some would later recount, he never directly attacked anyone except one: the archmage of Ravenshield, Galnious. Sindorel and Galnious had a titanic spell-duel in the mage tower that dominated Everlast Isle, which resulted in a rebounding of powers that destroyed the tower and left behind smoldering rubble. To much surprise (and suspicion), Sindorel's apparent mania was a ruse he adopted to better duel House Ravenshield's ''true ''enemy: the dreadlord, Nathrodar. Sindorel used his faux hatred for House Ravenshield to convince the nathrezim he, too, intended to destroy Dilan Ravenshield and his allies. In truth, Sindorel desired just the opposite, and used his lies to launch an assault right at the heart of Nathrodar's plan: Galnious. For Sindorel learned that Galnious was to be the vessel for Nathrodar, and sought to destroy Galnious before that could be completed. Abilities, Magic, Artifacts * '''Suggestion - '''Sindorel has displayed the power to compel people to perform certain actions with his voice. Those not targeted only hear Sindorel's voice become more melodic than usual, but the individual being compelled hears the Lord's words both physically and spiritually. Survivors of this power have compared it to drinking more alcohol than is normal, and becoming almost infatuated with Sindorel, desiring only to obey his commands. They say Sindorel's tone becomes angelic, a siren's song that elicits tears. * '''Sorcery - '''An undisputed master of magics both legal and taboo, Sindorel performs sometimes miraculous feats of arcana that leave allies and enemies alike in fear. His most signature magics seem tailored towards fire and destruction, though those that know Sindorel best understand his true strength lies in Conjuration and Illusion. Because of this, one can never be too certain the man they are speaking to is ''truly ''Sindorel, or rather some simulacrum performing his will. * '''Magical Items - '''Due to his previous status as Lord, and a curator of magical curios to begin with, Sindorel has a veritable hoard of relics at his disposal. Some whisper that nothing he wears is mundane, which may be true. A host of wands are apparently at his beck and call, capable of many magical feats, as well as dozens of rings and bangles and necklaces that he switches out apparently to match his daily outfit choice. In truth, each choice of jewelry is a well planned out subtlety, for each gem contains secret magics to be used in a pinch. * '''Oneiromancy - '''A secret that Sindorel only shares with those who demand or those he trusts (a short list indeed). Oneiromancy is the power to determine the future through one's ''dreams. ''This is unanimously considered the weakest form of prophecy, as Oneiromancy is uncontrollable and always metaphorical. The dreams come and go as they please, leaving the seer in question helpless. * '''Magical Empathy - '''Perhaps a simple offshoot of Divination, Sindorel has acutely refined senses that allow him to sense non-Illusioned magical residue. Because of this, Sindorel receives vague impressions of another sorcerer's magical strength, and what magics they might be wielding in Sindorel's presence. Sindorel professes the ability to sense when he is being lied to, but whether this has something to do with the Empathy or being a perceptive listener is up to interpretation (and he likely could be bluffing). Sindorel can sense Illusions, but not what they are hiding, or even who the Illusion might belong to. Relationships Hadrian "Arlen" Locke Commander of the 87th Alliance (now Free) Vanguard, a man who spoke little but ''when ''he spoke, everyone listened. The beginning of Sindorel and Arlen's relationship was notably rocky, with the two's forces coming to blows on some occasions. However, Arlen defeated Sindorel in a trial by combat at Raven Hill, choosing to spare Sindorel's life on ambiguous terms. In the years since, the two had been indifferent, if not cold, towards each other. It was revealed later in their stories that their Fates were entwined, and in the end, Sindorel was known to have said, "If I ever had a friend, someone I could call kindred, it's the man I despised most." Arlen and Sindorel fought alongside each other against a variety of foes, but ultimately Arlen was slain and risen as a puppet for the eldritch Master. To this day, Sindorel hasn't seemed to fully recover from Arlen's death, lending credence to some rumors that the Lord of Felclar's feelings towards the Commander were more than casual. In a private journal owned by Sindorel, the Lord wrote, ''""I thought I could fight this war alone, Hadrian ... Instead I endeavored to bring you back, because I thought that Azeroth still needed you. But I was wrong. It's not the world that needs you, Hadrian. I need you." Sindorel has confessed to some few that without Arlen's presence he feels incompetent, not able to complete the "mission" the two men shared. Annabelle Sylfaen Called the 'Snowstorm,' and once the Winter Knight, Annabelle Sylfaen is currently Sindorel's longest standing ally. Despite many subtleties and seeming betrayals, the Lady Annabelle has professed a wary trust of Sindorel, a trust that extends both ways. The two seem to share a bond forged by blood, after losing so much together on the New Draenor. Sindorel often relies on Annabelle for counsel (if and when he chooses to seek it), and seems impressed by her unwavering tolerance for his games. Dilan Ravenshield If ever was there an unlikely friendship, it exists between the Raven Lord and the Phoenix Lord. When Sindorel first arrived to Everlast Isle, he was raving and surrounded by webs of intrigue. Not long after, House Ravenshield and House Felclar declared war upon each other -- a war that was notably bloodless. In fact, the only real "casualty" of this war of posturing was the Archmage of Everlast, Galnious. It was revealed Sindorel used his apparently insane persona to deceive a Nathrezim, Nathrodar, ''that was trying to topple House Ravenshield. Masquerading as an insane villain, Sindorel in truth endeavored to kill Archmage Galnious, who he believed was integral to Nathrodar's plans. It turns out, Sindorel was correct. Because of this, Dilan had developed a grudging (''very grudging) ''respect for the Lord of Felclar. It has most recently blossomed into something of a startling friendship, drawing the ire of many of Dilan's companions given Sindorel's black reputation and less-than-friendly choice of words. Varisana Le'noire-Ravenshield Recently wedded wife to Dilan Ravenshield, the "clever, uncanny woman" (as Sindorel oft describes her) became fast companion with Sindorel. During the apparent hostility between Ravenshield and Felclar, Varisana alone seemed unperturbed, if not friendly towards Sindorel. Though her loyalties were always with her future husband and his people, Varisana seemed to understand, at least in part, that not all was as it seemed. She has placed a trust in Sindorel that the Lord has fleetingly experienced, and she is one of few people able to draw out Sindorel's rarely seen humanity. Even after a period of silence, Varisana requested that Sindorel be the one to walk her down the aisle at her wedding, a hint to the friendship that remains between the errant Lord and the new Lady. Lucy Hilthanra High Commander of the Perennial Armament, former majordomo of House Ravenshield in Dilan's absence. The strong, quiet woman has a curious relationship with the Lord of Felclar. They are not quite friends, but it is clear to most that Sindorel has a respect for Lucy rarely manifesting for others. Sindorel and Lucy shared a love interest, Cayden Rodetan, who died in an effort to resurrect Sindorel. Sindorel recently admitted that ''"She ''Lucy ''loved him more than I ever could." ''Of late, Sindorel has expressed regret for playing his games around Lucy and the Armament, leaving questions as to what Sindorel's next move could be regarding Lucy and her people. Cayden Rodetan The deceased paladin of Westfall, and one of Arlen Locke's sergeants in the 87th Vanguard, who became the unlikely lover of Sindorel Felclar during the fall of his House. Despite claiming that Lucy Hilthanra loved Cayden more than he did, Sindorel was fiercely protective and caring of his lover. Cayden was one of few people that saw the broken humanity hiding behind the layers of masks, smoke and mirrors. Sindorel has recently been in mourning regarding Cayden's death, most especially since it was on Sindorel's behalf that Cayden died. When prompted, Sindorel said in a quiet whisper, ''"I wasn't worth it." Seredar Al'dan Secretive and aloof, rather like Sindorel himself, Seredar Al'dan and Sindorel are allies only by mutual relationship with Lucy Hilthanra. The two are never openly hostile, but it is clear that they only tolerate each other based on their alliance with the Perennial Armament. Sindorel and Seredar have been compared to each other, but never openly (lest they draw the two autocrat's simultaneous wrath). There may be more than meets the eye regarding the two, given the level of intrigue Sindorel is known to play in. But by all appearances, they are cool allies at best. Zaria R. Blackmoore Lauded as a strong woman who clings to her ideals, Sindorel has publicly indicated his fondness for Zaria. She was responsible for creating some modicum of peace between Gavenstead and Alterac, the former being the Archduchy Sindorel sponsored financially, as well as helping reduce the level of fallout when Gavenstead ultimately collapsed. Thereafter, Zaria took in thousands of Felclar refugees, a debt that Sindorel has claimed he can never fully repay. Despite not having spoken in months since the Dying Light crisis, the two seem to be on friendly terms. Sindorel has privately expressed his regret for ever involving himself in northern politics, and soon retreated into his own privacy, though he did not burn the bridge between him and Zaria. Carvos Renarus A blacksmith and paladin in the employ of the Perennial Armament, and another unlikely friend to Sindorel. When Sindorel went into hiding most recently, interring himself in Varisana Le'noire-Ravenshield's mage tower, he only permitted Carvos allowance to see him. The two seem to be thick as thieves of late; Carvos may be a bodyguard for the Lord of Felclar, or perhaps is somehow bound to him by another sort of contract, it isn't clear. Miriam This quiescent and sometimes dramatic death knight was a loyal companion to the priestess Saerath Ajora, who was revealed to be a secret ally to Sindorel. Because of their mutual relationship with the late Saerath, Miriam and Sindorel are likewise allies. Sindorel often sends Miriam on missions on his behalf, to which she obeys (albeit with a sometimes sarcastic quip). Nathaniel Browning (Thice) Formerly with House Ravenshield, and now the Perennial Armament, Thice's relationship with Sindorel is similar to that of Miriam's. A companion of Saerath Ajora, Thice traveled with the priestess and Miriam and the pirate Isaline on a journey, which ultimately resulted in Sindorel's resurrection. Thice has professed a strange trust for Sindorel, citing that like Saerath, Sindorel is one of few people who understands the threats of the world and takes action to stop them. Thice seems to have inherited Saerath's powers of the Light and her abilities as a seer, following her death, and has approached Sindorel for help on the matter. That Sindorel selected Thice to spear-head a past mission indicates that the trust goes both ways, if only on a professional level. Benathi Aramil Someone Sindorel considers a like-minded person, rare as that might be. Sindorel and Benathi have displayed an almost unbelievable coordination with each other, to the point where some suspect they may have a precognitive, psychic connection. The truth is less grand, as the two are both inherently perceptive and scheming, to the point where Sindorel considers Benathi both a threat and an invaluable ally. The two often coordinate without needing communication, at least, not of the verbal sort. To this end, Benathi and Sindorel often end up completing each other's plans without forethought or planning. This has been noted to make them a dangerous duo, especially when they intentionally ''work together. Varulfr Vecfang ''Avowed enemies. ''Though Varulfr and Sindorel have cooperated in the past, recent events have left little sympathy between the two summoners. Some suggest that the animosity is one sided (on Sindorel's part) given that Varulfr killed Saerath Ajora. Their animosity hasn't come to blows... yet. Palayen Lightborn Potentially lovers. In fact it's almost a guarantee these two are lovers as far as the rest of the world is concerned. Attempts to inquire after the truth from Sindorel usually end in violent explosions. It's probably (?) safer to ask Palayen about it. In fact any questions are probably safer to ask Palayen about. = Trivia = * Sindorel is loosely based off of various fantasy characters from the player's childhood -- Pegasus from ''Yu-Gi-Oh, Raistlin Majere from the Dragonlance Chronicles, Jarlaxle from R.A. Salvatore's Legend of Drizzt, to name a few! * Sindorel is never seen without his favorite wine, aged Quel'thalasi Red. * Sindorel was born at the onset of the First War, considered an ill omen by a seer his family kept as something of a pet, the Emerald Witch. She was known to declare him "the Last Felclar," a sobriquet which hasn't quite gone away. * Sindorel was inspired thematically by the myth of Osiris and Set, as the two deities represent Sindorel's always fluctuating morality and disposition. * In the original Sindorel storyline, the Eredar Magderith was literally using Sindorel as a vessel. However later edits made it clear that Sindorel was being used more as a conduit for Magderith to channel his energies from outside of Azeroth, and had the ''intent ''of one day using Sindorel as a physical vessel. * Despite being an open gay man, there are still rumors that Sindorel has a biological daughter, Graciia Elnor, as she has an unusual affinity for magic and his sharp green eyes. Category:Characters Category:Human Category:Mages